Ways to Make You See
by PrettyFacesWithBrokenEyes
Summary: Robbie just wants to make Cat see. He just wants her to see how much he cares. There's only one problem, though. Cat can't see; she's blind. Cabbie.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Cat didn't know why this had to happen to her, why she had to carry this burden. Maybe it was fate, fate that when she was 9 years old her brother smashed a window with a golf club he shouldn't have had possession of. Fate that some glass shards went into her little brown eyes and scarred them forever. All she knew was that she hadn't been able to see since, and it wasn't fair.

She had learned to live without sight, without the ability to see her favorite color or enjoy shopping. She learned to accept her unfortunate situation over the years. But still, it was tough. At least she still always had the pretty things in her head, for she had been able to see long ago. She used to see, and she knew she was lucky for that. She just wished she had seen more at the time.

If Robbie Shapiro was psychic, he would've known how Cat felt, and why she was never truly happy. The dyed hair was her way of standing out for a reason besides being blind. Completely and utterly blind. That's what she was, and all she thought she was and could be. But Robbie saw something else. He saw a fire in those dull eyes of hers. A fire like a passion, a passion to belong. A yearning to be better. Better than how people saw her.

Robbie knew because he used to have that passion. That fire used to burn in him. He once wanted to belong so much. It went away when he met Cat Valentine, though. Hell, she didn't even know what he looked like. In fact, she didn't know what any of her friends looked like, except for Jade, whom she had known since Pre-K. And for Robbie, that was good. Girls never liked him because of his looks anyway. But Cat didn't judge him for that; she couldn't.

Cat never changed. She was known for the same old personality and face she wore. Sure, she acted happy… really happy for that matter. She put on a smile when she felt the presence of her friends. She never wanted them to find out about her inner sadness. Because the truth was, she felt so alone in her dark little world. It was so lonely in her head. She wished she could climb out of it and be free. But she couldn't. She was stuck being this way. Just plain stuck.

**A/N: So um, please review and let me know what you think. This was the prologue, just kind of giving you some background before the actual story starts. And the story will be Cabbie. :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

A laugh is a magical thing. It can lighten the heaviest of moods if heard at the right time. A sincere, hearty laugh can show optimism, yet also show bravery. For when one laughs when no else dares to, that individual has passed boundaries. Boundaries that had potentially kept them from achieving happiness.

Cat Valentine's laugh was magic; that's what Robbie thought. When she laughed, the world seemed to be a litter sweeter, and the sun seemed to shine a little brighter. But Cat's laugh had faded over time. Its beautiful ring wasn't as convincing anymore. Cat's laugh was now becoming feeble and almost depressing. And Robbie knew he had to change that. He had to bring Cat's laugh back. He had to bring Cat back.

"Robbie," Cat's small voice spoke.

"Hm?" the boy gave her his attention as they sat on the curb outside Hollywood Arts after school hours.

"Robbie," she repeated, finding his hand. "Do you ever dream?"

"Yes, Cat," Robbie replied. "I dream."

"Do you dream about pretty things?" she asked innocently.

"Actually, yes," he chuckled.

"Like what?" Robbie watched Cat's fingers glide over his palm and then he brought his eyes to see her face, knowing she couldn't tell anyway.

"You." Cat's fingers stopped tracing and she stared at his hand in a quite confused manner. Finally, she looked up at him as if she knew exactly where his brown eyes were.

"I'm… I'm pretty?" came her shy question.

"Cat, you're, you're beautiful," Robbie told her. "I mean, I know you probably don't believe me, but you are."

"Really?"

"Really."

Cat laughed.

**A/N: I know this chapter was kind of cheesy, but I hope you liked it anyway. :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

In time, all broken hearts can be slowly but surely put back together. That's what people say, but it just wasn't the case for Cat Valentine. It was like when you get so angry that you tear up a photograph into tiny, miniscule pieces. And then later you realize that gluing the shreds together again won't be an easy job. That's what Cat's heart was like.

Daniel was a heartbreaker. At first it was a sweet love, the mushy kind you see in chick flicks. Cat had only ever dreamed of a guy liking her, and when Danny came along, she fell. Hard. And soon enough Daniel became an abusive lover. Not physically abusive, luckily, for he knew that if he ever laid a harmful finger on his redheaded girlfriend he'd be at the hands of Beck Oliver and Andre Harris.

No, Daniel never gave Cat a single bruise or cut on her little body. In fact, he was actually very kind and considerate in the beginning. But though he almost had Cat's closest friends convinced that he could take care of her well, his love for her became half-hearted as he used her disability as an excuse to just not care anymore. He stood her up a number of times and, when he did keep his promises, he often was embarrassed by his blind girlfriend and she could tell, though she acted otherwise.

He broke her heart on an ironically beautiful Sunday afternoon. He dumped her without a worry on his mind. Some people say it isn't right to refer to it as "dumping" because it implies that one is being thrown away like trash. But Cat Valentine was indeed tossed out of her handsome boyfriend's life like a piece of garbage. There may have been several arms to hug her and several thumbs to wipe away her tears, but Cat was convinced that love was a terribly awful thing, basically evil. But maybe, just maybe Robbie Shapiro entered her life at the perfect time.

**A/N: So there's no dialogue in this chapter, which is different from how I wrote my other stories. There will be a variety of chapters. Some will be almost all dialogue, some a little more descriptive with not as much dialogue. Please review. :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Oh, how Cat wished Jade wouldn't leave. She had been so excited for her best friend to get a role in an actual movie; she even accompanied Jade to the audition. And she was still proud of her even as they stood in the airport with tear-filled eyes. "Won't you stay?" Cat begged weakly.

"Cat," Jade sighed, grabbing her purse from Beck. "I can't." The older girl searched her mind for something to say when Cat began to sob quietly. "I-it's only for a couple months."

"Six!" Cat cried. "You're gonna be gone for six months!" The redhead was taken into Jade's arms and squeezed tightly.

"It's gonna be okay, Cat," the Goth soothed. Beck reached out to rub Cat's shoulder, looking back at the rest of the gang sitting in the leather chairs a good distance behind them. Jade had already said her goodbyes to them.

"Come on, Red," the Canadian coaxed. "Jade's gotta catch her flight now." Cat listened to his words and sobbed louder into Jade's shoulder.

"Cat, please," Jade said softly, rubbing Cat's back. The redhead finally backed up, letting go of her friend altogether.

"Fine."

"I'll call you every week," Jade assured. "Every day, even."

"Kay, kay," the small girl whispered sullenly. She received one last hug from Jade and so did Beck. And then the soon-to-be-famous girl was on her way towards security, leaving them behind to watch, Cat to cry.

And despite her meltdown, Cat wasn't really fazed by her friend's departure. After all, leaving was just something Cat had always experienced, and she was quite familiar with it.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

As a child, Cat was a showoff... the good kind, though. She was always dancing through the house wearing pink frills and such, singing at the top of her strong lungs till her cheery songs were drowned out by her brother's crazed yelling. Her talent went unnoticed as much as it had been shown off. Her parents didn't care to listen to her talent. Forever busy with Toby Valentine, they never realized how talented their daughter truly was. And it seemed they never would realize it. For, after the accident, she stopped singing. She just stopped.

So why then was she at Hollywood Arts, the finest performing arts school in California? Because her best friend Jade West was there to convince her to show off her talent for the school administrators, of course. And that was the first time she had sung for anyone but Jade and herself since she had gone blind.

"Come on, Cat."

"No, Andre!" the redhead protested.

"Please?"

"I don't want to!"

"Cat," Beck joined in. "Andre really needs you to perform in Tori's place."

"Why can't you get someone else to?" Cat asked.

"You're the only girl who knows her part; you've been with her while she's practiced," Andre explained. Cat crossed her arms and pouted defiantly.

"I just don't want to."

"Why not?" Robbie quizzed.

"I'm not even that good, you know," Cat tried to convince them.

"I bet you are," Andre smiled, patting the girl's shoulder.

"But I'm not."

"Well, how 'bout you sing for us now and we can hear for ourselves?" Beck suggested. Cat shoved his tan hand away and continued to argue.

"'Cause I… I don't want to sing for you," she said. "I don't want to sing for anyone!"And with that, she grabbed her guide stick and stormed out of the Blackbox Theatre as fast as she could. All three boys exchanged frustrated looks as they watched their little friend leave.

"I'll go talk to her," Robbie offered.

"You sure about that, Rob?" Beck asked.

"Yeah, I might as well," the boy shrugged, before exiting and following the route Cat had taken.

He found the redhead in the janitor's closet crying. If Tori hadn't been too sick to help Cat put on her mascara, it would be smeared and running down her rosy cheeks. Robbie sat down next to the poor human and rubbed her back. "Hey, hey," he soothed. "It's okay."

"I just… I just don't want to, R-Robbie!" she stifled through sobs.

"I know. You don't have to," he told her. "Just don't cry. Please don't cry." Cat sniffled one last time and pawed at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," the curly haired boy chuckled, fixing her hair for her. "Are you okay now?"

"Uh huh," she said softly. "Wanna know a secret?"

"Sure."

"I love to sing," she admitted bashfully.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Then, uh, may I have the pleasure of hearing you do it?" he asked uneasily, not wanting to upset her again.

"Well," she began. "I want to, but, I'm… I'm scared."

"It's okay," he encouraged. "It's just me." He listened intently as her soft hum became a sweet song coming from her lips, "Part of Your World" to be exact.

"D-do you like it?" she asked shyly once she was done with the beautiful chorus.

"Cat," he began, somewhat awestruck by her talent. He knew she had to have some talent in order to get into the school, but he never imagined that his little friend had such a… such a voice. "That was _really _good. I'm not kidding." The little redhead giggled at his compliment.

"Do you think I would do good in the showcase?"

"Yes, I do," he nodded. "You don't have to, but-"

"I want to," she cut him off.

"You do?" the boy asked. Cat nodded and received a wide smile from her friend.

"Well, let's go talk to Andre then, shall we?" She smiled, took his hand, and they headed back to the theatre.

**A/N: Reviews are like cupcakes. I like cupcakes. :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Cat listened as the singing Quartet finished their performance on the stage. She could feel the heat of the bright lights on her skin as she clutched the curtain tightly. She knew that she was after the next act. A hand gently but suddenly grabbed her shoulder and she jumped back. "Whoa, girl, what's the problem?" Andre asked.

"Oh, um, nothing," she lied. "Andre, I'm not so sure about this." Sweat was starting to form on her forehead and she wanted nothing more than to go home and watch movies alone.

"Everything'll be alright, Lil' Red," Andre assured. "Don't worry."

"I don't know, Andre," she whimpered. "I-I'm nervous."

"Cat," the musician sighed. "You promised me you would."

"I-I know I did, but I'm afraid something will go wrong."

"You're gonna be just fine, Cat," he said. "I know you will." Before he could say anything else to help the poor girl, Robbie and a sick Tori appeared behind them.

"Hey, Cat," Tori greeted with a hopelessly stuffed up nose. "Andre."

"Hey, girl," the boy acknowledged her while Cat stayed silent.

"How's it going?"

"Good," Andre responded. "Cat's been getting a little anxious, though."

"Aw, Cat," Tori cooed, trying to sound as healthy as possible. "It's okay. Don't be scared."

"I can't help it," the redhead whined, trying not to cry as she heard the noise of the party going on.

"Cat, you're gonna do great," Robbie joined in. Cat sniffled and finally nodded at Robbie's reassurance, but only because she wanted her friends to believe she wasn't as terrified as she really was. But Robbie saw through her front. "Come with me, Cat," he pleaded, reaching out to take her small hand. She easily followed him farther backstage.

"Robbie, I can't do it, I don't think."

"Cat," Robbie sighed, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You're an amazing singer. All of us know that now, and you've got to show all those people out there."

"But I don't think I can sing in front of those people," she insisted. "It's… it's scary."

"I know it's scary," the curly haired boy agreed. "It's always scary. It was even scary for Andre and Tori when they first sang in front of a crowd."

"But-"

"But it's okay," he continued. "You're gonna do fine. Forget about the world for a few minutes. Pretend it's just you up there, singing to yourself all alone."

"Can I… can I be singing to you?" Cat whispered shyly.

"Sure you can," Robbie smiled. "You can be whatever you want, Cat." The redhead smiled and let the tall boy lead her back to where their friends were. Robbie nodded at Andre and Tori, silently telling them that Cat was going to go along fine. The teenagers then listened to Lane as he began his announcement.

"And now we have Andre Harris and Cat Valentine coming out to sing a song for us," the guidance counselor said, backing up to let the duo take the stage. Cat grabbed onto Andre's arm and held tight. The boy looked down at her worriedly, grasping his guitar in his free hand.

"Come on, Lil' Red," he willed her to keep walking with him.

"Kay, kay…" The two set themselves up in the center of the stage in front of the crowd with the spotlight right on them. Both sat on stools; Andre with his guitar and Cat with a microphone clutched in her sweaty hands.

"Ready?" Andre whispered in her ear. Cat nodded bravely. She wondered if Robbie was watching her and remembered last week when she sang to him. Andre began strumming a familiar tune and she took one last deep breath before letting her voice reach the ears of the waiting crowd.

"Say you love me as much as I love you, yeah… Would you hurt me, baby? Could you do it to me?"

**A/N: Yeah... Um, I'm not really proud of this chapter. I didn't drink any coffee this morning and I'm just really tired. I just wanted to update for you guys, though. Reviews are appreciated. :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It's a funny thing, how sometimes tears can help you see more clearly and heartbreak makes everything seem so much more real. Because the truth is, we become who we really are when we fall apart. We give up for a moment, or longer, and we stop trying to be something else. We're true when we're broken. We don't hide. When we hit the ground, we can't get up by ourselves. We need other people. But everyone falls apart.

Poor Cat. She had never even met Chelsea Shapiro. How was she supposed to feel anything in that moment? She couldn't cry, or mourn, or anything. But Robbie cried. Robbie cried forever it seemed. If Cat knew anything about the oldest Shapiro daughter, she knew that she loved her little brother, and he loved her. So much.

"Robbie, don't cry," the redhead begged.

"Don't tell me not to cry, Cat," Robbie snapped hysterically. "I'll cry if I want to. Okay?"

"Kay, kay…" The distraught boy heard her quiet answer and lifted his face out of his wet hands. He looked up at the sober-looking girl with remorseful, cloudy eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "I just…"

"No, Robbie," she cut him off. "You're right. You can cry if you want to."

"I shouldn't yell at you, though, Cat. It's not right."

"Nothing's right about what happened, Robbie," Cat told softly. "But I love you. And Chelsea loved you." Robbie nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure she was very pretty, Robbie."

"She was…"

"Imagine how pretty she is in heaven now, Robbie!" the little girl tried to be optimistic. She received a skeptical look from her friend. "No, Robbie. You have to imagine. Here…" She kneeled down next to him and faced the direction he was facing. "Close your eyes and imagine," she prompted, and he did as he was told. "Don't you see her, Robbie? Don't you see your sister?"

"I… I see her," he nodded.

"She's mighty beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah… She is…" The two sat, leaning on each other with their eyes still closed, and Cat reached for Robbie's hand and slowly took it in her own.


End file.
